The Return of Game of Thrones

Photo from hbo.com

Hold your hats (or in this case dragons) and prepare yourself for an epic return of the famed drama series, “Game of Thrones” and their long-awaited prequel: “House of the Dragon.” With the original series ending in May of 2019, fans were yearning for redemption after the unfavorable ending in the season 8 finale. However, after the spin-off aired this past week it’s safe to say it amends all previous distaste. 

So, What is “House of the Dragon” about?

“House of the Dragon” is set two centuries before HBO’s Game of Thrones. The “Dance of the Dragons,” is a time of civil conflict among Targaryen family members in which brothers, sisters and dragons all battled one another. Since they were in power when the House began, their collapse had significant effects that this new series will shed more light on. The show’s creative team voiced that it has attributes similar to the original Game of Thrones, but it has entirely new cast members and its own separate timeline.

Who is creating “House of the Dragon?”

The co-creators are Ryan Condal, a producer and screenwriter who is famously known for the TV series “Colony” as well as the film “Rampage,” and George R.R Martin, the author of the books that served as the inspiration for “Game of Thrones.” The producers are Condal and Miguel Sapochnik who previously directed six other “Game of Thrones” episodes. However, after episode two aired, Sapochink resigned from “House of the Dragon.” Alan Taylor who’s previously worked with “Game of Thrones” will become his replacement.

Why “House of the Dragon” and not Martin’s other spinoffs?

Since “House of the Dragon” is based on a previously published book, “Fire & Blood: 300 Years Before A Game of Thrones,” this makes it easier on producers to plan accordingly for the series and illustrate the whole picture more smoothly.  

Where and When can you watch it?

The series airs every Sunday at 9 p.m. Eastern time and can be found on HBO with the option of streaming on HBO Max. The season has a total of 10 episodes that are about an hour long each. 

Meet the Cast
  • Milly Alcock- younger Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen
  • Matt Smith- Prince Daemon Targaryen
  • Emma D’Arcy- Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen
  • Olivia Cooke- Queen Alicent Hightower
  • Paddy Considine- King Viserys I Targaryen
  • Eve Best- Princess Rhaenys Targaryen
  • Graham McTavish– Ser Harrold Westerling
  • Emily Carey as younger- Lady Alicent Hightower
  • Rhys Ifans– Ser Otto Hightower
  • Steve Toussaint– Lord Corlys Velaryon
  • Sonoya Mizuno– Mysaria
  • Fabien Frankel- Ser Criston Cole
What do the fans have to say?

So far after the first two episodes have premiered, fans have flooded social media with satisfaction. One fan tweeted, “Finally watching House of the Dragon episode 2 and my family’s reaction to the GOT theme was so great! Big smiles.”

Another user was easily convinced by all the hype— “Starting House of the Dragon tonight. I’ve seen good reactions so this is making me look forward to it.”

So, what do you have to say about the prequel? Tweet us, @VALLEYmag with your own personal reactions!

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